Returning home
by AnnaAddams
Summary: The last thing Haymitch thought when he woke up that morning was that he was going to fall in love by the end of the month. In fact, he didn't think he was going to have his house cleaned up by a pretty blonde woman.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter #1

The last thing Haymitch thought when he woke up that morning was that he was going to fall in love by the end of the month. In fact, he didn't think he was going to have his house cleaned up by a pretty blonde woman.

The night before, Haymitch had passed out in the couch of his living room after finishing his last bourbon bottle and fighting with every person and geese he crossed by.

In the back of one of his well-known nightmares, Haymitch heard a noise in his front door. It was low, but he was able to distinguish from the loud arena sounds made by his mind. First, he thought it was one of the kids, wanting to know if he was alive or not, so he made a noise to let them know he was alright, turn on his back and continue sleeping. However, after 10 minutes the sound didn't stop and he decided to open the door.

His eyes sore when he tried to open them and his head was about to explode. Haymitch put on the first pair of sweatpants he found- without knowing how clean they were- and didn't bother on a t-shirt.

The door was 30 feet away, but for him it was almost a mile. When he finally reached it, the sound had already stopped. Even though, he opened it and look outside for the person making the noise. He didn't see anyone.

All Haymitch saw was a small figure walking away from his porch. He couldn't focus on it because of the bright sunlight. However, he realized it was a woman. After his eyes adapted to the outside light, he saw her better. She had short blonde hair up to her shoulders and a plain light-blue dress that didn't cover her knees. All she was carrying was a small suitcase, which Haymitch found weird because he couldn't even recognize the person in front him and didn't know what she was doing in his house.

When he was about to turn around and walk on his feet into the house, the woman turns to face him. She had a soft smile that didn't reached her dark blue eyes and her face was covered in a little bit of makeup, but not enough to cover her freckles. Haymitch thought she had a familiar face, but couldn't put a name on it. The woman in front of him opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but she closed quickly.

Then Haymitch remembered Peeta telling him that he needed to hire a housekeeper, so he thought the boy had done it without consulting him. He was about to send her back home and go to talk to Peeta about making decisions that didn't concern him, but then he thought it wasn't the worst idea to have someone cleaning his house. After all, it was Katniss or the boy doing all the work at his house every time he passed out.

He took a step closer to her and realize that she didn't look like someone front District 12 _,_ it was more like District 1 or maybe some Capitol who lost her fortune during the rebellion. Either way he was sure Peeta had already updated her on his situation.

"Hey sweetheart, are you coming in or not?", and just like that, he turned and walk into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter #2

Effie was left speechless. During the trip from the Capitol she pictured every moment of the encounter. She was going to knock on his door until he opens it, she was going to tell him everything. From the fact that in three years she couldn't stop thinking about him and about that kiss outside the president mansion that left her breathless, to the fact that she was whiling to try to get a new life with him in twelve. After that, she was going to kiss him until he was begging her to stop.

Unfortunately, it didn't occur that way. After almost twenty minutes of knocking on his door, Effie turn on her heels and walk away from the porch. Then she heard the door opening and a feeling of relief exploded in her chest. So she turned around to face him. Haymitch was only wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. He was so different, but at the same time, he was the same. He still had the bright spark in his grey eyes. Haymitch had gained some pounds, but he still had a great figure. Effie couldn't stop watching him. She wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid he would reject her. So when he told her to come in she was astonished, but followed him.

It was the first time Effie entered to the house and it was everything she had imagined. She had already been in Katniss's during Victory Tour, and it was almost the same. But the thing that almost make her smirk was the mess. Empty bottles everywhere, dirty clothes on the floor and the couch, a pile of dishes in the sink, and a thick layer of dust in every piece of furniture. There was a gross smell coming from the kitchen and from the window she could see a dozens of creatures that seemed to be birds. Effie was focused on the animals when she saw that Haymitch was staring at her.

"Well, sweetheart, are you going to start cleaning this up or just stand there all day?" He said with a little smirk on his face. His eyes were red, for the alcohol, Effie thought and, from where she was standing, it was pretty obvious that his pair of pants hadn't been cleaned from a long time.

"I beg your pardon" she said quietly, unable to say anything else.

"You are the new housekeeper, right?" Haymitch said as if it as an obvious statement. "Peeta hire you to keep an eye on me, didn't he?"

It took everything inside of her not to start laughing in his face, which would've been tremendously rude. She didn't understand if Haymitch was playing her a bad joke or if he really didn't recognize her. Effie knew she was wearing less than 10% of the makeup she would've wore in the Capitol, no wig or fancy dress, and that the last time they have seen each other was three years ago. But she was certainly not expecting this situation, she thought at least Haymitch would have recognized her for her high voice or Capitol accent, he was always complaining about it. But he didn't, and that took her by surprise. However, she thought it would be a funny joke to pretend just for some minutes. At list she would have some fun when he figures out who she really was.

"Yes, yes sure. My name is Althea, Althea Erwin. Pleasure to meet you." Effie says the first name that popped into her mind, the nurse that look after her during her rehab in the Capitol. Also she was very careful to use the first words she had told him in their first Games together. However, Haymitch didn't seem to realize who she was. Not from her voice or her Capitol accent. He just kept staring at her as if he was waiting for something.

"You must be Mr. Abernathy" She said then and he nodded.

Effie didn't know what to do. Luckily, Haymitch seemed to realize how lost she was, and he was the one to talk then. "What is that suitcase for, princess?"

That's when Effie realized that she didn't have an explanation for her luggage. The trip was supposed to last two week, or maybe more if Haymitch let her, and she was going to stay in his house. But, when she decided to play this little joke, she had completely forgotten about her suitcase.

"Well, I haven't really had time to settle in District 12. I arrived this morning and came directly from the train station" she said. At least that was the truth.

"I think Greasy Sae has opened a new guesthouse near the square. I'm sure she has an extra room" Haymitch said. Effie wasn't quite expecting that. She wasn't expecting an invitation to his house, in the end he had _met her_ today. However, when she came from the Capitol she didn't bring so much money so paying for a room wasn't an option. Effie couldn't ask the children for hospitality either, she knew Haymitch spent almost every day in their house. But then, a thought bump in her mind. T _his wasn't supposed to last that long, was it? She was going to tell him tonight when she finishes with the house._ And then Effie realized she didn't even know how to wash a dish or pick a broom. _This wasn't the best idea after all._ She thought for her self _._

"Oh, yes sure. I will check in when I'm finished here. Thank you for the information." She tried to sound pleased, but it came out very plain. "Well, now that it all settle, may I star?"

"Sure, sweetheart, do as you please." He said and just like that, he left upstairs.

Just then, Effie let out a little laugh. _What has she done?_ She was standing alone in the house of his only friend, who didn't recognize her, pretending someone she certainly wasn't and not knowing what to next.

XXX

The sun had already gone, when Effie finished with the kitchen. It took her half an hour to discover how to use the hot water to clean the dishes and when she was done with that, she had to clean the floor. There was an incredible amount of different thing there. It was like another word, with dirty clothes, unfinished food and empty bottles everywhere. Effie picked everything and put in in the trash. After that, she cleaned the floor, which took her almost three hours. Haymitch didn't show up even once.

Effie was going to leave when she heard Haymitch walking down the stairs. Only when he was standing in front of her, she realized he had been drinking all this time. Even though, he was standing three feet away from her, she could smell the alcohol. Haymitch was wearing a t-shirt now, it was covered in vomit and old bourbon, his eyes where red and he couldn't stand up any longer. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but close it quickly. Effie could only picture their time in the games, and how she'd carry him to his bedroom when he'd passed out.

So she did. She stepped closer to him and when he didn't move, she put an arm around his middle. As a reflex, Haymitch put all his weight on her and murmur something she couldn't understand. Carrying him upstairs was a nightmare, but she managed it. When she finally found his bedroom, she leaned him back on his bed. Effie was about to take of his dirty clothes, as she'd have done in the Capitol, when she felt his arms looping around her waist and pulling her to the bed with him. She tried to free herself, but Haymitch only tighten his arms and started murmuring things again.

"Haymitch, stop please" Effie said almost as a plea. The situation was pretty familiar. She knew Haymitch was having one of his hallucinations about his girl or maybe the arena, and that it was better not to wake him up because, even though she trusted him, he didn't know who she was, and could become aggressive against her.

"Stay" Haymitch said as he loses his arms a little bit and a second later, he was snoring under Effie. She tried to get out, but every time she would move, Haymitch would tight his arms around her. At the end she gave up and fell asleep on his chest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter #3

Haymitch woke up with a big hangover and no memory of the previous night. He got up of bed and went directly to the bathroom, where he looked at his reflection. His t-shit had vomit, bourbon and sweat, his pants weren't far from that and his face was worse. He searched in his memory any clue of what had happened the day before, but it was helpless. He felt ashamed of himself. Since the rebellion, he had been drinking but he usually had a secret place where he kept some bottles he drink when the nightmares get too bad. However, it seemed that something, or someone, has made him empty his secret stock.

Just then, he remembered what had happened the day before. It was that housekeeper Peeta had hired him. She has been his trigger; it was a Capitol. Her presence in the house had brought him back memories about the Games, his family and his girl. Haymitch decided he had to get rid of her as soon as possible.

After the best shower he remembered taking in months and walking to his room with only a towel wrapped in his waist, Haymitch noticed something different in his bedroom. There weren't any clothes left in his wardrobe or in his chair or even in the floor. It seemed as the new housekeeper had entered to his room while he was asleep. He couldn't believe it, the woman had met him yesterday, and now she was invading his personal space.

Haymitch went downstairs, with the towel around his waist, only to find Althea- _he couldn't remember if that was her name or not-_ with almost all his clothes on her tiny arms. She had her hair up in a complicated bun and she was wearing some jeans and a blouse, and heels? Why in Panen was she wearing heel to clean the house? She was so dammed Capitol, he wanted to just fire her and send her to her beautiful little city.

That's when Haymitch saw her suitcase, in his kitchen, just as the day before. At firsts he thought she had brought it back from guesthouse from who knows what, but then another memory from the previous day hit his mind. He didn't remember what had exactly happened, but he was sure it must have been one of his nightmares. The memories of the Games had been permanent for the past years but nowadays it usually occurred once in a month or so.

"Haymitch" Althea said when she saw him. "I hope you had a pleasant sleep" Haymitch didn't know if it was his imagination or not, but her cheeks were a little bit pinker and it was not for the makeup. "There is some hot coffee on the table and, some bread from Peeta's bakery" she said on the bottom of the stairs with his clothes on her arms.

"Oh, thank you sweetheart, I guess" He said but she was already upstairs. Giving it a second thought, he could keep her for a day or two.

With that thought in mind and forgetting the suitcase, Haymitch sat on the kitchen and had the best breakfast he had had in weeks. It wasn't much, but it was more that the sip of whiskey he would usually had.

XXX

Only when she was upstairs, Effie left out a small laugh. She couldn't believe he hadn't recognized her yet. Even though it was the first time Haymitch had seen her without a wig or make up on, Effie thought he knew her better than that. Over the years all there has been between them was a "laboral" relationship, an agreement for their own benefits. She made sure he and the tributes were presentable for the interviews and the photoshoots, and he drank until he passed out. Although, there were times when she didn't bother him that much and he didn't pass out from the drinking, times when they had real conversations about the games and times when they both fell asleep in the couch watching the games late at night. They had a platonic relationship in which neither of them tried to cross the line that separated it. However, the tension in both sides was pretty evident.

That's why, when Haymitch left the Capitol to take care of Katniss, Effie was devastated. She was angry at him for leaving her behind the revolution, to be tortured by the Capitol. But at the same time all she could think about were his soft warm lips against hers, the way he hadn't care about what people would said about the spectacle they were giving. He had crossed the line, and it was all Effie thought about for three years. However, after that, he didn't call her once and she was to broken to do it herself.

Telling Peeta what had happened was the best part of her day. Effie had woken up early in the morning, still on Haymitch's chest and couldn't believe what was happening. She had been waiting so long to be near him and now she was, but it was not what she had expected at all. She took a bath in Haymitch's bathroom- making a mental note to clean it later- and went downstairs to change her clothes. She picked the most appropriate clothes she had for District 12 and went to the shop.

Luckily, Haymitch wasn't the only one who didn't recognize her, so she had no problem walking in the street. When Effie entered the bakery, Peeta received her with a big hug, they had become really closed during their rehab in the capitol. The chatted a long time, about their life, about the nightmares and about Katniss and Haymitch. That's when Effie told him about the joke she was playing Haymitch. At first, Peeta didn't believe her, but when he did, Effie made him promised her to help her and act as if she really were the housekeeper. Peeta could only agree to her request and after that she said goodbye and walk to Haymitch's home.

Effie entered the house and all she could see were dirty clothes everywhere so she decided it was the first thing she would do that morning.

XXX

After breakfast, Haymitch put on some recently clean clothes and went outside. He decided to go hunting with Katniss, due to the beautiful day. But first he needed to thank Peeta for what he had done, after all it wasn't the worst idea ever.


End file.
